Ultramarathon

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An ultramarathon is any running event longer than the marathon length of 42.195 kilometres (26.2 miles, 45,760 yards).

There are generally two types of ultramarathon events: runs for a specified distance and runs for a specified time (with the winner covering the most distance in that time). The most common distances run are 50 and 100 miles or 50 and 100 kilometres, though several other distances, e.g., double marathons, 100 mile, or multiday races of 1000 miles or even longer are also contested. The format of these events and the courses covered are highly variable and range from many loops run on a 400 meter track to point-to-point road or trail races. Many ultrarunning events are also characterized by other extreme course obstacles, such as heat, cold, elevation change, or otherwise challenging terrain. Many of these races (especially in the United States) are run on dirt roads or mountain paths, though some are run on paved roads as well. Usually, there are aid stations every five to fifteen km apart where runners can replenish food and drink supplies, or take a short break.

Timed events range from six or 12 hours to one, two, three and six days (known as 'multi-day' events). These events are generally run on a track or a short road course, often one mile or less.

One of the most famous Ultra Marathons was the Westfield Ultra Marathon, an annual race between Sydney and Melbourne in Australia and was run between 1983 to 1991. Greek runner Yiannis Kouros won the event five times during that period.

Australia is also the home of one of the oldest six-day races in the world, the Cliff Young Australian 6-day race, held in Colac, Victoria. The race is held on a 400 metre circuit at the Memorial Square in the centre of Colac and has seen many epic battles over the years since its inception in 1984.

The 20th Cliff Young Australian 6-day race was held between the 20-26 Nov 2005. Yiannis Kouros was to rewrite the record books in that event when he beat his existing world 6-day track mark and set a new overall World 6-day record of 1036.851 km.

Contents

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Well-known ultramarathons

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Well-known ultramarathon runners

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See also

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External links

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